Chelmer, QLD: suburb profile

The population of Chelmer QLD is 3,325 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Chelmer is $1,282 per week ($66,664 per year). Median rent in Chelmer is $490 per week ($2,123 per month). Chelmer has a median age of 41 years, older than the national median of 38. Chelmer has a population density of 2,312 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Chelmer is England. The most common religion is No religion (40.6% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Chelmer is $3,000.

Population
3,325
Census 2021
Median income
$1,282/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$490/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
41years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021.

Chelmer vs the typical QLD suburb

The median personal income in Chelmer is $1,282 a week, 72% above the typical QLD suburb ($747). That ranks 31st of 1,527 QLD suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $490 a week, $170 more than the typical QLD suburb. Rent takes 14.4% of the median household income here, against 20.4% in the typical QLD suburb. The median resident is 41, 1 year younger than in the typical QLD suburb (42).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureChelmerTypical QLDDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,282/wk$747/wk +72%$766/wk
Household income$3,402/wk$1,593/wk +114%$1,637/wk
Rent$490/wk$320/wk +53%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$3,000/mo$1,625/mo +85%$1,733/mo
Median age4142 −1 yrs42
Rent share of household income14.4%20.4% −6.0 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Chelmer, the typical QLD suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Chelmer Population

3,325 residents at the 2021 Census.

Chelmer Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,282/wk
$66,664 per year
Ranked 300 of 14,663
Median Rent
$490/wk
$2,123 per month
Ranked 714 of 14,663
Median Age
41years
3 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$3,000/mo
Avg household size: 3 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Chelmer Rent Prices & Affordability

14% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $3,402/wk
Median rent $490/wk
Rent to income 14.4%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Chelmer against your income

About $14,742 a month
Median rent $490/wk
Left after rent $2,912/wk
Rent share 14.4%

Chelmer Schools

22
schools nearby
9
government
1138
avg ICSEA score
17,253
total students
Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,358 students
1220
ICSEA
St Peters Lutheran College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 2,330 students
1183
ICSEA
Ironside State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 895 students
1178
ICSEA
Fig Tree Pocket State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 477 students
1169
ICSEA
St Aidan's Anglican Girls School Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,075 students
1168
ICSEA
Indooroopilly State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 1,326 students
1165
ICSEA
Brisbane Boys' College Independent
Combined · Prep-12 · 1,393 students
1164
ICSEA
St Ignatius School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 272 students
1158
ICSEA
Graceville State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 676 students
1156
ICSEA
Omni Academies of Learning Independent
Secondary · 7-9 · 33 students
1151
ICSEA
Holy Family Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 118 students
1142
ICSEA
Ambrose Treacy College Catholic
Combined · 4-12 · 1,273 students
1139
ICSEA
Sherwood State School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 630 students
1139
ICSEA
Indooroopilly State High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 2,924 students
1138
ICSEA
Brigidine College Catholic
Combined · 5-12 · 980 students
1129
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 22 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Chelmer, with a map

Chelmer Map

Chelmer, Queensland Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Chelmer, Queensland: 27.5127°S, 152.9779°E

Chelmer Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (22)

People in Chelmer

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 50.0% (1,663) Female 50.0% (1,661)

Population Density

2,312
people per km²
3,325 people · 1.4 km²

Households

3
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$3,900
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
5.7%
New Zealand
2.3%
China
1.6%
South Africa
1.5%
India
1.2%
United States of America
1.1%
Hong Kong
1.0%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
2.5%
Spanish
1.2%
Vietnamese
0.9%
Cantonese
0.8%
French
0.6%
Persian (excluding Dari)
0.5%
German
0.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
40.7%
Australian
33.0%
Irish
17.0%
Scottish
15.1%
German
5.2%
Chinese
5.1%
Italian
3.4%
Dutch
2.1%
New Zealander
1.9%
Indian
1.7%
Welsh
1.4%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
40.6%
Catholic
21.2%
Anglican
15.5%
Uniting Church
4.7%
Not stated
4.2%
Christian (other)
2.8%
Presbyterian and Reformed
2.1%
Hinduism
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.4%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
57.3% 1,490
Separated
2.2% 58
Divorced
5.1% 132
Widowed
5.6% 145
Never married
29.8% 775

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
50.9%
Couple: no children under 15
21.9%
Couple: no children
19.5%
One parent: no children under 15
4.2%
One parent: children under 15
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
15.2%
2 persons
29.3%
3 persons
16.8%
4 persons
24.0%
5 persons
11.3%
6+ persons
3.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Chelmer

Housing Tenure

Of the 1,038 occupied private dwellings in Chelmer at the 2021 Census, 16.1% were rented, 38.4% owned outright and 43.6% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.0% 10 dwellings
Owned outright
38.4% 399 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
43.6% 453 dwellings
Rented
16.1% 167 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.7% 7 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
100.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
1.4%
2 bedrooms
7.2%
3 bedrooms
29.7%
4 bedrooms
37.7%
5 bedrooms
19.0%
6+ bedrooms
5.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
6.5%
$300-$449/mo
3.3%
$600-$799/mo
1.5%
$800-$999/mo
1.8%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.5%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
10.5%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
17.1%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
17.5%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
32.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
3.2%
1 vehicle
28.3%
2 vehicles
46.0%
3 vehicles
14.3%
4+ vehicles
8.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Chelmer

Employment

Employed full-time
41.0% 951 people
Employed part-time
22.1% 512 people
Unemployed
2.8% 64 people
Not in labour force
34.2% 794 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
50.4%
Managers
20.9%
Clerical & Administrative
11.4%
Community & Personal Service
5.6%
Technicians & Trade Workers
5.2%
Sales Workers
4.7%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
0.9%
Labourers
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.1%
$1-$149/wk
0.5%
$150-$299/wk
0.3%
$300-$399/wk
0.7%
$400-$499/wk
1.9%
$500-$649/wk
2.2%
$650-$799/wk
2.3%
$800-$999/wk
3.1%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
4.1%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
3.3%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
3.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.1%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
7.8%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
6.1%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
11.2%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.4%
$4,000+/wk
42.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
11.6%
$1-$149/wk
5.1%
$150-$299/wk
5.1%
$300-$399/wk
1.8%
$400-$499/wk
1.9%
$500-$649/wk
1.9%
$650-$799/wk
4.6%
$800-$999/wk
6.1%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.0%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.3%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.2%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
12.9%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
5.3%
$3,500+/wk
16.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
60.3%
Did not go to work
19.4%
Train
9.0%
Car (passenger)
4.3%
Bicycle
2.5%
Walked only
2.1%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.9%
Bus
0.4%
Truck
0.4%
Other
0.4%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
88.5%
Year 10 or equivalent
8.2%
Year 11 or equivalent
2.6%
Year 9 or equivalent
0.7%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
48.6%
Postgraduate Degree
21.6%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
12.3%
Certificate III/IV
9.4%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
7.4%
Certificate I/II
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
28.9%
Society & Culture
13.9%
Health
13.6%
Engineering
12.5%
Education
6.9%
Natural & Physical Sciences
6.5%
Architecture & Building
5.0%
Creative Arts
4.9%
Information Technology
4.4%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.1%
Agriculture & Environment
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
32.4%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
20.7%
Secondary: Government
10.5%
Secondary: Catholic
9.6%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
7.7%
Pre-school
7.0%
Primary: Catholic
6.1%
Vocational Education
5.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
92.0%
Has need for assistance
5.1%
Need for assistance not stated
2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
260
Asthma
125
Arthritis
82
Heart disease
64
Cancer
59
Lung condition
52
Diabetes
43
Stroke
30
Dementia
22
Kidney disease
19

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
11.8% 292
Did not provide
88.2% 2,184

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
24.8% 615
Not a volunteer
75.2% 1,865

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.2% 5
Current ADF: Reserves
0.2% 5
Previously served
3.1% 76
Never served
96.5% 2,403

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
29.2%
1 child
8.8%
2 children
34.6%
3 children
20.5%
4 children
5.6%
5+ children
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
4
1951: 1960
23
1961: 1970
52
1971: 1980
65
1981: 1990
85
1991: 2000
97
2001: 2010
199
2011: 2015
121
2016
33
2017
17
2018
29
2019
48
2020
27
2021
8

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

15.3%
moved in the last year
44.2%
moved in the last 5 years
3.7%
unemployment rate (Census)
65.3%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
2,728
Moved from QLD
312
Moved: same area (SA2)
96
Moved from overseas
42
Moved from VIC
19
Moved from NSW
18

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
25.0%
5: 14 hours
32.7%
15: 29 hours
16.1%
30+ hours
9.5%
Did not do domestic work
16.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
91.6%
Step family: no other children
6.4%
Blended family: no other children
2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Habana
Income: $1,047/wk Rent: $400/wk $90/wk less rent
Freshwater (Qld)
Income: $1,095/wk Rent: $350/wk $140/wk less rent
Cabarlah
Income: $1,033/wk Rent: $360/wk $130/wk less rent
Shoal Point
Income: $1,104/wk Rent: $380/wk $110/wk less rent
Townsville City
Income: $1,182/wk Rent: $390/wk $100/wk less rent
Kalinga
Income: $1,182/wk Rent: $400/wk $90/wk less rent
Rockyview
Income: $1,141/wk Rent: $480/wk $10/wk less rent
Ascot (Brisbane - Qld)
Income: $1,163/wk Rent: $390/wk $100/wk less rent

Suburbs near Chelmer

The closest suburb to Chelmer is Indooroopilly, 0.8 km away.

Indooroopilly
0.8 km away · income $928/wk · rent $440/wk
Graceville
1.1 km away · income $1,195/wk · rent $495/wk
Taringa
2.0 km away · income $973/wk · rent $385/wk
Sherwood (Qld)
2.0 km away · income $1,057/wk · rent $390/wk
Fig Tree Pocket
2.5 km away · income $1,205/wk · rent $590/wk
Tennyson (Qld)
2.7 km away · income $1,408/wk · rent $530/wk

Compare Chelmer

Frequently Asked Questions About Chelmer

What is the population of Chelmer QLD?

The population of Chelmer QLD is 3,325 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,312 people per km². Chelmer is ranked #2,216 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Chelmer?

The median personal income in Chelmer QLD is $1,282 per week, or $66,664 per year. The median household income is $3,402 per week. Family income is $3,900 per week. Chelmer is ranked #300 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Chelmer?

Median rent in Chelmer QLD is $490 per week ($2,123 per month). Rent represents 14.4% of household income, which is considered affordable. Chelmer ranks #714 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Chelmer?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Chelmer QLD is $3,000. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Chelmer?

The median age in Chelmer QLD is 41 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Chelmer a good suburb to live in?

Chelmer is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 3,325. The median income is $1,282/wk, which is above the typical QLD suburb ($747/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (14.4% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Brisbane Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 30588. All dollar figures in AUD.